No Park District Project Is Too Big Or Small For Retiree

Aide Is A Star Behind The Scenes

August 11, 1999|By Pamela Dittmer McKuen. Special to the Tribune.

When the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District announces its summer outdoor concert series, Starry Nights, Herb Bliese is sure to make note of the dates. He enjoys the music but that's not all. He is among about two dozen volunteers working behind the scenes.

At a concert this summer by singer Gary Puckett, he took tickets and stamped attendees' hands so they could leave and return. At other concerts, he has ushered or sold pop or beer. After each one, he helps clean up Irwin Park, Homewood, where the concerts are held.

"We have fun," said Bliese, 75, who has been volunteering at the concerts for about 10 years. "Afterwards (the volunteers) get together and stand around and talk, have a bottle of pop and discuss what we liked about the concert. It's companionship. A lot of us are widows or widowers like myself."

Not every night turns out to be a starry one. When singer Lee Greenwood performed about four years ago, heavy rains forced the audience to a school auditorium in Chicago Heights.

"The Kiwanis had a popcorn machine," recalled Bliese, who is a Kiwanis member. But Kiwanis "didn't make much money that night. Half the people said, `We're not going that far.' "

In addition to working at the concerts, Bliese volunteers for a variety of district programs and events. He started as a participant. He is a longtime member of the district's fitness club as well as its bowling and golf leagues.

He served as the golf league's first president in 1991.

"Then they got to know me, I guess," he said with a smile.

Bliese has offered his services for about five years to the annual Park Pride Day in May. Volunteers weed district gardens and plant flowers. The district provides the flowers and lunch.

This spring, Bliese was assigned to the flower beds at the Marie Irwin Community Center, 18120 Highland Ave., Homewood.

In other years, he also has assisted fellow Kiwanians with their adopted garden at district headquarters, 3301 Flossmoor Rd., Flossmoor.

Bliese said he enjoys the camaraderie of the day. Volunteers who are veteran gardeners teach those with brown thumbs.

"There is always somebody who knows which (flowers) go with what," he said.

This October, Bliese will be in charge of Grandma's Attic, an annual combination indoor arts and crafts show, white elephant sale and bake sale. The event, at the Irwin Center, is sponsored by 55 and Better, the district's senior citizen organization.

Bliese has co-chaired the event for several years and has donated some of his homemade goodies and helped to set up tables and to price the items that are contributed to the white elephant sale.

"A lot of people donate their white elephants," he said. "All the garage sales are over by October. People's basements are full of stuff that didn't sell, so they donate it to us."

Another project Bliese helps with is the Park District's annual miniature-golf training session for children.

Volunteers set up nine indoor holes and help the children putt. The children are allowed to take up to 10 strokes on each hole.

"Once in a while, someone gets a hole-in-one, and they go bananas," he said with a smile. "There is lots of excitement."

Each December for five years, Bliese has served as the district's telephone Santa.

He telephones children whose parents have requested a call, asks them about their grades and behavior and asks for their wish lists. Last year, he made about 30 calls.

"I can do the ho, ho, ho," he said, and then offered a demonstration. "It's fun."

Bliese also is a past member of the district's Leisure Services Committee, which makes program and pricing recommendations to the board of commissioners, and a current member of the senior advisory group that helps plan activities for senior citizens.

He is one of about 400 volunteers who assist the district with many programs and projects, said Recreation Supt. Jill Bartholomew.

The tasks they perform include helping run special events, serving on committees, doing telephone surveys and mailings.

Two years ago, volunteers helped in a successful campaign for voter approval of a special property tax increase to enable the district to buy three pieces of property.

"Our volunteers demonstrate a sense of pride in the community and help us stretch our resources," Bartholomew said. "We feel very strongly that a community is only as good as the people in it. The more involved the community is in whatever we do, the better we are."

Bliese, she said, "is probably the most gentle, caring, resourceful, kind senior. He is just a terrific guy who has a love of people. He considers the needs of everyone, but he always thinks of the seniors first."

Jodi Gosse has been the district's senior coordinator since May. She is enjoying her new job and the people she has met, she said.

"It's a great group of people, and Herb is one of the greatest," she said. "He seems willing to do almost everything. Every time I talk to him, he is upbeat and positive."